You probably are familiar with bilingualism’s benefits, and now you want to raise a bilingual child. The problem is you don’t know how to do this, where to start. Well, you can start from the very first days after the baby is born. There isn’t a specific approach to raising a bilingual child, so have that on your mind. What might work for one family it might not work for another. So, the question is, what would be the best for your family. Then, figure out which method will fit best.
Think about the following things if you want to raise a bilingual child:
- Which languages are being spoken?
- When is each of the languages spoken?
- How often is one language spoken?
- How much will your child be exposed to each of the languages?
Most parents will choose one of the methods below to raise a bilingual child. You must stick to your selected method and be consistent with it if you want good results.
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Start early:
Children can be bilingual from their birth. Therefore, if possible, start as early as you can. Early exposure to one language is very beneficial. We understand that this is not always possible from the baby’s birth. Remember that children have a period in their life when they are able to pick up languages much more effortlessly. That period is the first few years of their life.
Have a look at the following language learning strategies and see which one will fit best for your family:
1. Using OPOL to raise a bilingual child
This method is probably the most popular out there for raising bilingual children. OPOL means one person. One person speaks only one language to the child consistently and does not use the other language. The child should respond in the language which is being spoken to him/her. If the child responds differently, the parent should correct him/her.
OPOL advantages:
– Each person will speak to the child in their mother tongue using their native accent, which means the child will pick up the language to a native level.
– After some time, the child will know which language to use with each of the people and be less confused.
OPOL disadvantages:
– When the minority language is being spoken by the parent who isn’t the primary caregiver, the child will not get much exposure to that language, and it will become a passive language, meaning the child will understand the language but will reply in the majority language.
2. Using MLAH to raise a bilingual child
With this method, the minority language being spoken at home the child and both of the parents, but at school and out in the community, the child will speak the majority language.
MLAH advantages:
– The entire family can use one language to communicate together.
– Being exposed to the minority language more will strengthen that language.
MLAH disadvantages:
– Young kids who haven’t started school yet will be more exposed to the minority language. This can cause the child to be behind with the community language compared to other peers when they start school.
– The parent who is not speaking the child’s native language may not feel confident speaking the child’s native language consistently. And if that parent doesn’t speak the child’s native language properly, the child can pick up on the mistakes.
3. Using Context (Time and Place) method to raise a bilingual child
This method teaches you to use each of the languages in different situations and contexts, depending on who you are with and where you are. This means when you are with a group of people who only speak a certain language, you switch to that language and only use that language so that everyone can understand each other.
If you use one language in your everyday situations, but you choose a certain time of the week or the day to use a different language. This practice is being used by many families to give a certain language better exposure. Many of the families who use this method will speak different languages with each other and the child daily.
Context advantages:
– The child will learn with whom and where to speak one language. The child will know that different languages apply to different situations.
– Other people will not feel isolated from your conversations because you adapt the language use accordingly to the people to talk to.
Context disadvantages:
– The risk of confusion is there because there isn’t any consistency.
– The child may prefer one of the languages more, and the other one will lack exposure.
4. Mixing languages
This method teaches you to frequently switch between languages. The child and the parents need to switch from one language to the other one depending on the context of their conversation and on what they are doing. This is mostly practiced in countries that have a second official language. This is the case with Canada, where they have parts of the country where they speak both French and English. Or like in Italy, where different dialects are being used throughout the country.
Mixing languages advantages:
– The flow comes naturally. You don’t need any specific plan
– The child is not forced to use any of the languages when they don’t feel like it.
Mixing languages disadvantages:
-The child may favor one language over the other, thus growing up with native level on one language, while the other one will lag.
– Bilingual children will mix the languages in the beginning. You have to show them a way to differentiate the two languages.
Conclusion
Choose the language learning method that fits your family the best and be consistent with it. Remember that the process will require a lot of patience and a lot of work, but the benefits will show you that it was all worth it. Nonetheless, this will be a challenge for you and the child.
So, if you want to raise a bilingual child, choose one of the methods above or make an adaptation of one of them. Just like with any other parenting challenge, consistency and a positive attitude will take you successfully to the finish line.
